Deer dragging harness kit



- Oct. 10,1967 R. M. BIS-HOP 3,346,154 I DEER DRAGGING HARNESS KIT Filed May 13, 1966 INVENTOR. A CH YED ff EASHOP United States Patent 3,346,154 DEER DRAGGING HARNESS KIT Richard M. Bishop, P.0. Box 54, Spragueville, N.Y. 13689 Filed May 13, 1966, Ser. No. 550,000 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A deer dragging harness including a breast strap with a tow ring at each end, a pair of shoulder straps with inter-connectable strap members therebetween, a pair of downward diagonal extending straps with side rings at their ends and the breast strap having means for support ing firearm shells.

This invention relates generally to pulling harnesses. More specifically it relates to harnesses adaptable for securement upon a human being.

A principal object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved harness for use by sportsmen and hunters to permit towing or pulling a slain deer out of a forest.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a deer dragging harness wherein the principle of leverage is utilized to ease the burden of dragging a heavy animal, and wherein the harness provides a tendency to raise the animal slightly off the ground at the forward end when pressure is placed against the harness thereby making the towing easier.

Another object is to provide a deer dragging harness kit which includes a removable shot gun shell or rifle bullet pad to be secured thereto.

Another object is to provide a deer dragging harness kit incorporating a breast strap to permit the hunter to pull in a forward position and leave both hands free for carrying his firearms and grasping other objects such as when climbing up a knoll.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a deer dragging harness kit which is simple in design, has less parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of one end of a tow rope associated with the present invention,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the harness showing a modified securement means of a shell pad to the breast strap of the harness.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the numeral represents a deer dragging harness according to the present invention wherein there is a breast strap 11 made of resilient or flexible material and having a steel tow ring 12 secured thereto at each opposite end, the breast strap being provided with a pair of shoulder straps 13. One of the shoulder straps has a sideward extending strap member 14, having a series of openings 15 whereas the other shoulder strap has a sideward extending strap member 16 having a buckle 17 at its end for engagement selectively within the opening 15 of the other strap member 14. The strap members 14 and 16 are secured to the shoulder straps by means of stitching 18.

A pair of diagonally downwardly extending side straps 19 are secured to the breast strap and each of the side straps supports a steel side ring 20.

Upon the front side of the breast strap there is secured removably a shell pad 21. As shown in FIGURE 1, the

3,345,154 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 shell pad may be secured to the breast strap by means of slide fasteners 22 and 23 along the upper and lower edges respectively, or as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing the shell pad 24 may be secured to the breast strap 25 by means of corresponding fastener elements 26 and 27. A tow rope 28 is spliced or otherwise formed at one end to include a loop 29, the rope providing a means for engagement with the animal being towed.

The side rings 20 are used to tie the ends of the breast strap after bringing the ends around the back to each side. To do this the hunter takes one piece of the rope, ties a single knot to a side ring leaving about 12 to 15 feet of the rope hanging therefrom, then making a 6" coil of the rest of the rope by looping it through the side ring leaving enough of the end to make 2 or 3 one-half hitches around the 6" coil of rope. Now taking the end of the breast strap bringing it around the back and to the side, now taking the rope portion left hanging he slides the end through the ring and ties it. The same is done with the other side. He now has a small bundle of rope on each side, a harness that wont come off and thus he does not enter the woods leaving the rope forgotten in the vehicle in which he has arrived.

The side rings also can be used for pulling. If there is more than one hunter and he also has a harness he may tie in the side rings of the other hunters harness and form a single file team. This is a big advantage when dragging a deer through 12 or 15 inches of snow depth, thus once a path has been made a deer will drag more easily because where two hunters are dragging side by side in snow a deer will most certainly be dragging in the center there between. The strap members 14 and 16 form a backstrap which when properly adjusted pulls the shoulder straps in proper place and prevents them from sliding off from the shoulders.

The rope allows the hunter to tie up a deer quickly. To do so he pulls the front legs forwardly to the neck, then places a part of the rope using the loop end and passes the other end through the loop drawing most of the rope therethrough. The larger loop thus formed slipping over the front legs back of the first joint and drawn up tight. The same is done with the other rope. The ropes are now placed around the neck of the animal in opposite directions, the ropes being brought to where they are tied upon the legs, both ropes passing between the legs back of where they are first tied, pulling them tight and forwardly, then taking half hitches up the neck toward the head. If the deer has antlers a couple of half hitches in one rope around the antlers is made near the head, the same being done with the other rope, the ropes then being tied to the rings 18 on the ends of the breast straps. The deer is now ready to be dragged.

While various changes may be made within the detail construction it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I now claim is:

1. In a deer dragging harness kit, the combination of a harness including a breast strap, said breast strap having an end ring at each opposite end thereof, said breast strap having each end of each of a pair of shoulder straps secured thereto, said shoulder straps supporting a back strap and said breast strap supporting a pair of diagonally downwardly extending side straps carrying side rings, said breast strap and rings and said side strap side rings in use being drawn together and secured to one end of a drag rope for having a deer carcass towed at the other end thereof.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein strap includes means for selectively attaching or detaching a shell pad to the front side thereof.

3. The combinations as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of said shoulder straps supports one of a pair of members forming said back strap, said member comprising a strap having a plurality of openings equally spaced apart therethrough.

4. The combination as' set forth in claim 3, wherein the other of said shoulder straps supports another of said members forming said back strap comprising a strap having a buckle at the end thereof, selectively of said back strap.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said shell pad is secured to said breast strap by means of a slide fastener along the upper edge thereof and a separate slide fastener along the lower edge thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 74,064 10/1948 Norway.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEER DRAGGING HARNESS KIT, THE COMBINATION OF A HARNESS INCLUDING A BREAST STRAP, SAID BREAST STRAP HAVING AN END RING AT EACH OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID BREAST STRAP HAVING EACH END OF EACH OF A PAIR OF SHOULDER STRAPS SECURED THERETO, SAID SHOULDER STRAPS SUPPORTING A BACK STRAP AND SAID BREAST STRAP SUPPORTING A PAIR OF DIAGONALLY DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE STRAPS CARRYING SIDE RINGS, SAID BREAST STRAP AND RINGS AND SAID SIDE STRAP SIDE RINGS IN USE BEING DRAWN TOGETHER AND SECURED TO ONE END OF A DRAG ROPE FOR HAVING A DEER CARCASS TOWED AT THE OTHER END THEREOF. 